Hopefully Toronto FC’s non-World Cup participants had a good rest, because business is set to pick up substantially.

With the break for the global soccer extravaganza coming to a close last Friday, when the Reds drew 2-2 on the road against the New York Red Bulls, the schedule now makes up for lost time in a big way.

Wednesday’s tilt in Chicago against the last-place Fire will be followed by a meeting at home with D.C. United on Sunday. After that, the Reds will play three times in a week and six times in 18 days to close out July.

The grind is partly due to the World Cup, partly because TFC played so few games to start the season.

Instead of treating this stretch as a gruelling slog though, a team desperate to finally reach the playoffs for the first time, it needs to view it instead as a golden opportunity.

Keep things rolling, and surge up the table toward the top of the East.

After dropping two straight to end April, TFC went a strong 3-1-2 in May and June, and really should have gone 4-1-1, dropping the extra two points by conceding late against New York its last time out.

As it is, TFC is unbeaten in five. Though TFC has been in good form, the goal conceded late in stoppage time had to gut the team at least a little bit, and take away some of the good feelings that came with designated player Gilberto finally getting on the board as a member of the Reds with what should have been the 72nd-minute winner. Luckily for TFC, Gilberto scored on the brilliant attempt, because Jermain Defoe, rather petulantly, had tried to take the free kick himself, even knocking the ball out of his hands at one point. They hugged and made up afterward though. There have been no further signs that the star strikers are at odds.

Defoe has scored eight times in nine league appearances, while the rest of the team has scored just nine times, total. Perhaps that is why the Englishman wanted the ball, fresh off being snubbed by his punchless national team.

In any event, Gilberto finally found twine on his 23rd shot attempt of the year (just six behind Defoe) and that is a great sign for the Reds, a team that already has been boosted by the arrival of solid midfielder Luke Moore (two goals, five shots in five appearances) and speedy winger Dominic Oduro.

TFC can put further pressure on third-place New England with a positive result. The Revolution has three more points than Toronto, but has played three more games.

Meanwhile, the Fire has struggled all year, but expects star forward Mike Magee to be in the lineup, despite an ankle injury and Reds head coach Ryan Nelsen said earlier this week, “there are no easy games in this league.”

Toronto FC (6-4-2) at Chicago Fire (2-4-8)

Toyota Park – 8:30 PM ET

TSN

Skinny: Chicago sits last in the East on 14 points, while Toronto is fourth, with as many as five games in hand on other teams.

TFC’s 1.67 points per game paces the East, Chicago’s 1.0 trails only Montreal for last in all of Major League Soccer.

Still, that might be a bit deceptive, since the Fire has only conceded three more goals than it has scored and Toronto has only scored two extra.

A win would put TFC three games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.

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Back to business for Toronto FC

Hopefully Toronto FC’s non-World Cup participants had a good rest, because business is set to pick up substantially.

With the break for the global soccer extravaganza coming to a close last Friday, when the Reds drew 2-2 on the road against the New York Red Bulls, the schedule now makes up for lost time in a big way.

Wednesday’s tilt in Chicago against the last-place Fire will be followed by a meeting at home with D.C. United on Sunday. After that, the Reds will play three times in a week and six times in 18 days to close out July.

The grind is partly due to the World Cup, partly because TFC played so few games to start the season.

Instead of treating this stretch as a gruelling slog though, a team desperate to finally reach the playoffs for the first time, it needs to view it instead as a golden opportunity.

Keep things rolling, and surge up the table toward the top of the East.